We’d like to know your thoughts on this one. A recent Budweiser ad centers on the story of a soldier returning home. In the ad, he first calls a friend and then his parents. When he finally gets home he is first hugged by his friend and then his family and other friends.
Some are calling this ad gay-themed. We say it is. We also say who gives a shit? Anyone, gay or straight, can shoot a gun and kill the enemy. But what we do give a shit about is the way Budweiser crafted this ad. Nebulous is a good word to describe the way the ad plays out.
It’s like the brand is pussy footing around the approach leaving the ad’s concept open to interpretation. Which, perhaps, is a smart thing, After all, a smart brand wants advertising that identifies with as many people in the target audience as possible. And focusing too heavily on any one issue/religion/color/belief/sexual preference, for better or worse, usually ends up alienating those not in the said group of focus.
So we give Budweiser points for creating an ad that’s nebulous in a good way and is broad enough to appeal to many. We subtract points for the brand’s choice of sidestepping what’s really going on in the ad. There is no shame in being a gay soldier so why should that fact be clouded in conceptual hedging?
